I could be inspired by what others are doing within their families to focus on the ultimate sacrificial gift of love. God sacrificing His only Son for us... for me. Truly a humbling moment that I want to imprint on my son's heart.

I could learn what other churches are doing to instill Love during Lent in their congregations.

Lastly, I could gather ideas for how to teach my first graders in a meaningful way that they will remember when they're outside of church, to Keep Love in Lent!

Now what I would like to share is what I am doing to Keep Love in Lent. I'd like to say that I thought and prayed about what I'm doing but to be honest, my parish priest asked me to be part of a core group of members in a newly formed ministry. Once I said yes, it took on a life of it's own. I'm part of my church's Peace and Justice Ministry and our first goal is to encourage our fellow parishioners to participate in Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Campaign.

We've been participating in this program for years, but this year, we'd like it to impact our parishioners as individuals and also collectively, as a church.

We want it to be less of a perfunctory act and more of a meaningful act.

We want to show how fortunate we are as Americans and how less fortunate some Americans are and especially the third world countries.

The CRS website is asking for participants to register their rice bowls and they offer a calendar of ideas of how to connect the poor with Peace and Justice.

I am also working on compiling a list of Charitable Works within our surrounding area to either volunteer, pray or donate. Once I started looking, I learned of other denominations who have weekly dinners for the poor, the many opportunities to pray at an abortion clinic, to volunteer and rock babies at a home for mommy's and their babies, to donate your shoes to Soles4Souls, volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, and bring baby items to a women's center...etc. There are many charitable activities to get involved in!

It's tougher to find Social Justice issues to get involved in. The overall idea is to remove root causes to improve structures in affordable housing, improving the education system, legal protection for the unborn, participating in a living wage campaign, promoting peace of advocating for international assistance.

What activities have you found in your community to focus on Peace and Justice

within our borders and beyond?

I would especially love to hear about what you're doing for Social Justice.

"The conscience is called by this social teaching to recognize and fulfill the obligations for justice and charity in society." Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more. Luke 13:48

Check out the Lent reflections participating in the Keep LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013! We'll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE.Discover new Catholic Blogs to follow! I can't wait to meet new ones too!

39 comments:

We too do Operation Rice Bowl and I am looking for more ways for my children to serve. To have them actually experience what others suffer through, it would be a great learning experience. I haven't yet found something that would suit my whole family though.

It is challenging to find a project that will really touch them in their hearts. I have heard of Feed My Starving Children that has many sites around the US. Adults and children can come and volunteer by hand packing meals for malnourished children around the world. I'm thinking that might be something we'll try this year. Their website ishttp://www.fmsc.org/

The parish I grew up in (we moved after Dad was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate and assigned to a neighboring parish) does the Operation Rice Bowl as well. It never became a "tradition" in our family, but I remember taking part in it a few times, more as an independent thing on my own during high school.

And I agree with Amy - I'd never guess that you don't do web designs. This is a fantastic blog!

Noreen, I wrote about our attempt to eat less during Lent last year so we could donate the difference to ORB. Unfortunately, that was easier to plan than to execute. I am always looking for ways to teach my children about the different way of life that poverty imposes on others, and like Cheryl, I wish I could find a participatory experience. Of course, I have them set aside clothing and toys for others, and we even talk about water shortages in other communities. I have asked all of their grandparents to tell them stories of growing up in poverty and facing racism, but not much sinks in, yet. I am hoping they will absorb more of that knowledge as they grow older, so they can see the need for social justice work.

Try Feed My Starving Children Elisa. I cannot speak from personal experience yet, but I hope to go there this Lent. Our children really do not know what poverty is compared to the rest of the world. Even the poorest of the poor here in the US still have access to programming that includes food and shelter.

Hi DG, thanks for coming by to visit. I wasn't aware how big of an organization CRS was until a member of the Peace and Justice Dept from our local archdiocese came out to speak to our parish. Very impressive charity that really does deliver the goods to those in need.

I've never heard about the Rice Bowl before! I love how invested you are in social justice. For now, all I can do pray for people but I look forward to doing more and making a difference in the future!

Hi Megan, I hope my time in this area will bear fruit. Meaningful and productive fruit that helps others in need. I've been a staunch pro lifer for some time but there are so many other areas of injustice throughout the world. I've recently joined our Minister of Care Ministry and have been visiting home bound elderly parishioners... my heart breaks for them. They are so lonely and want desperately to be able to stay in their own homes yet they're so isolated.

Noreen, Noreen...I love discussing social justice-themed projects! Have I mentioned how happy I am to have "met" you? :) This Lent, we're taking part in an H2O Challenge to benefit Water for South Sudan (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org/h20-project/). This organization drills wells in South Sudan to provide safe, clean drinking water. It's really incredible -- once fresh water is available, schools, markets, and clinics spring up and communities are completely transformed. The founder of WFSS is a former Lost Boy who lived here for many years after coming to the U.S. (he now lives most of the year in South Sudan). It's an amazing organization! The H2O Challenge requires us to give up all drinks but water for 2 weeks and donate the money saved to WFSS. Our two weeks begins next week and I'm already going into caffeine withdrawal just thinking about it. But I really think it's an ideal Lenten activity (our little ones will still get milk but no juice). I'll post about it over at my blog (I'll probably need to reach out for sanity's sake) later, too. LOVE that you've asked about social justice!

Hi Regina, I feel blessed to have "met" you too! I have not heard of the H2O Challenge but will look into it and bring it up at our next P&J meeting. Isn't humbling to think that some people in the world, God's beloved children, do not have access to clean water? How insane is that? We have so much here in the US and we need to do more for those who need our help! I will certainly be checking in with you at your blog and see how you're doing. I will add you to my sidebar of "blogs I love" so I won't miss any of your posts!

Perhaps I will try it here and see about donating what we save. I too, will go through a major caffeine withdrawal! I'm wit

Something in my community that I love is a program for homeless families - churches get together and provide short-term places to live and provide childcare while the parents get assistance finding jobs. LOVE IT because it helps these families get back on their feet and keep them together (and out of the cold). My community has programs for homeless men and women but until recently nothing for families.

Wow Kim, that is really great. How is it funded? Through the church and other private donations? Our church participates in PADS by donating clothing and food items to another Catholic Church in our city that has the overnight shelter.

Thanks for the reminder that Lent is also about giving back and helping those in need. Social justice projects are something we ALL need to work on, and your post reminds me that we should do something with the kids this Lenten season. :) Thank you, too, for joining the link-up! God bless you and yours always! :)

For us, we are not doing much in this way right now. We are beginning the adoption process of a waiting child from China, and so most of our funds that are usually directed in that way, are going towards our adoption.. We talk a lot to our boys about saving money for the adoption and we discuss orphans around the world and God's call to help them. We also, try to help many organizations that work with orphans. Although our boys may not be adding to the fund directly, they offer to scrifice many things in order to contribute to the adoption.

Congratulations Kim! I hope your adoption process goes quickly so you can bring home your new child! I think that teaching your boys how to be part of this process helps in so many ways for them to think of others as they grow up. You are good mom Kim!

Hi Noreen, It is so wonderful to see and learn about the charitable works and organizations that are out there; it's inspiring to see how you answered God's call to this work! Our parish recently started 'The Gabriel Project' and it seems to be doing very well. God's grace to you...

We are participating in the Operation Rice Bowl project too. This year we're a bit more laid back about it (due to a busy schedule), but in the past I've incorporated country studies around the countries featured for that year, recipes from the selected countries, and the other educational suggestions provided by CRS. They really have some wonderful learning suggestions on their website!

We have packed meals for Feed My Starving Children. It really affected my son (who was then in 4th grade), especially watching the film about the children who received the food. You've reminded me that it's been several years and we should do it again soon!

Yikes, I missed the deadline. I hadn't heard of it until you mentioned it. I don't follow any of those hosting it. Maybe next year? I will enjoy seeing your posts and those of the other participants. Thanks for letting me know! : )

Hi Anabelle, I know what you mean about alms-giving during Lent. The focus seems to be more about fasting than anything else. All three are connected and need to incorporated into our Lent to bear fruit in ourselves and our children.

We live close enough to Mexico that we are able to drive down to visit the Missionaries of Charity at their daycare. My kids were able to actually play with the children there and see who would be getting the things they had chosen to donate. It was an amazing experience.

I have been wanting to do the rice bowl with my children, but have yet to begin it. You have prompted me to ensure that I pick one up this weekend... As for social justice, I used to be involved with things prior to marriage, but, with young children, I find it harder to stay involved. We try to do meaningful things that speak at our kiddoes level for praying, fasting and giving, but I suppose I could "up" the almsgiving with them.

Our visiting priest today was encouraging us to all participate in the CRS Rice Bowl Campaign. He works with them and shared a powerful witness to it's result when he visited a small country called East Timor. CRS has been working in this relatively new independent country.

I really need to get into volunteering with my children. When I was in high school, I used to volunteer alot. But now, having kids and thinking it will be difficult to do so, prevents me from signing up with anything. I think I just need to try and look harder for something that will fit with my family and our schedules.

Hi Noreen,The Rice Bowl initiative sounds like a great one. Up here in Canada, my 12 year old son is a member of the Squires group. They are like a mini version of the Knights of Columbus...for 10-18 year olds. They help out with Church functions, they led the Stations of the Cross on Friday night and they gave out little coin boxes to the congregation to collect change for our Pro-Life organization. Thanks for sharing what you do!

I'll have to see if we have a Squires group here in my area. I am a Minister of Care trainee who is partnered up with a Knight of Columbus. I will have to ask him about it tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!

There is nothing like giving to those who can't give back to gain the right perspective. This is what Lent is all about, I think. To be Christ centered is to be others centered. You have a very pretty blog. The title says a lot about your servant attitude. God Bless.

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I am a Catholic mom who is enjoying the world of blogging. This blog is to honor God, explore christianity and share my life with you. What I am not, is a writer, expert on Catholicism or Christianity or a web designer. I have absolutely no experience at creating a blog whatsoever! What I do have is a desire to learn my faith and share it with others.